Steven Alker and Lydia Ko won’t be writing home about their final rounds on Monday morning (NZT).
The Kiwi golfers plummeted down the leaderboards of their respective major tournaments, ones they had both been in contention to win at various times the past few days.
In miserably cold and windy conditions at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Wales, Alker shot a forgettable 10-over 81 to finish in a share of 11th at the Senior Open, while Lydia Ko finished tied for 61st in the Evian Championship in France after shooting a six-over 77.
Despite bogeying three of his first four holes, Alker was in a share of the lead after making birdie on the par-3 No 5.
However, it wasn’t a sign of things to come. Far from it.
Alker’s ugly scorecard would be littered with four more bogeys and two double bogeys the rest of the way – he dropped seven shots the final six holes – to finish six shots behind eventual winner Alex Cejka (playoff) and Padraig Harrington.
For Ko, who had a share of second after the opening round of the penultimate LPGA Tour major this year, her struggles continued on a day she mixed four bogeys and a double bogey with a lone birdie.
The 26-year-old, who has just one top-10 finish in 2023 after she was crowned player-of-the-year last season, finished a whopping 20 shots off the pace set by French winner Celine Boutier.
While Ko opened with a slick five-under 66, rounds of 76, 71 and 77 meant only three players who made the weekend finished below her.
Ko walked away with US$14,758 (NZ$23,978), peanuts in comparison to the $1 million Boutier pocketed.
But that won’t bother Ko. What will is her continued search to put her game together.
